Cities Divide New Frontiers Mount Dora Okays Pact With Eustis Over U.s. 441

March 6, 1986|By Jim Runnels of The Sentinel Staff

MOUNT DORA — City council members have voted unanimously to approve an interlocal agreement with Eustis to divide planning responsibilities along U.S. Highway 441.

Under the agreement, Eustis would be responsible for servicing land northwest of the intersection of U.S. 441 and State Road 44B, while Mount Dora would control the south side of U.S. 441.

The northeast corner of the intersection would be a ''free zone'' without designated coverage from either service area.

Tuesday's vote is the first of three critical votes required to set up service districts for the Golden Triangle cities of Tavares, Eustis and Mount Dora. Officials in all three cities want to draw up long-range comprehensive plans so they can begin targeting service areas for water, sewer and zoning development.

The agreement approved by Eustis would give the cities joint approval of any development in the allocated areas near the intersection. The city with the most stringent development rules will control development, regardless of which city the proposed development would be in.

Council members said they understood the fears and opposition to the plan by some property owners, and acknowledged that the owners were caught in the middle of a political problem.

But scrapping the proposed agreement of setting service boundaries between Eustis and Mount Dora would send both cities back to the political feuds of the past, when squabbles blocked all cooperative efforts in the Golden Triangle, the council members said.

As part of the agreement, undeveloped Lake Louisa Groves south of U.S. 441 would be deannexed from Eustis and annexed into Mount Dora. Eustis also would sell a water line along State Road 19A to Mount Dora for $220,000, the cost to be paid over five years.

The Eustis City Commission may vote on the agreement tonight. City manager Mike Stearman said he is not certain if a written copy of the agreement would be ready for tonight's meeting.

Tavares city administrator Tony Otte said Wednesday that a proposed agreement between Tavares and Eustis has been drawn up, but no date has been set to act on the issue.